Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Where pediatric oncology and anthroposophic medicine meet.
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the situation not only presents a medical challenge but also a pedagogical one: What kind of support does a person need to successfully cope with such a serious illness so early in life—not only physically but also psychologically and emotionally? The Instituto Nacional do Câncer (INCA), a specialized oncology clinic in Rio de Janeiro, addresses this challenge with an approach that is unusual in the world of conventional medicine. Since 2022, it has been developing a care model that combines conventional medical treatment, anthroposophic remedies, Waldorf education, and art therapy. The project was initiated by Nilene Alvim Gouvêa, an intensive care physician at INCA. Through additional training in anthroposophic medicine, Gouvêa has become acutely aware of the importance of therapeutic approaches that address not only the physical but also the emotional, social, and biographical aspects of a patient. The support of the Instituto Mahle now makes it possible to permanently integrate these approaches into the pediatric oncology ward of the clinic.
More Mahle Stiftung
Translation Paula Boslau
Image Ashe Walker
